SHIVA-VISHNU TEMPLE TELEPHONE (925) FAX (925)

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1 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER-2008 Vol.21 No.4 PLEASE NOTE THE SCHEDULES Monday Through Thursday: 9 am to 12 noon and 6 pm to 8 pm Friday, Weekends & Holidays: 9 am to 8 pm NEWS FROM THE HINDU COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL CENTER, LIVERMORE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT SHIVA-VISHNU TEMPLE TELEPHONE (925) FAX (925) DIRECTIONS From Freeway 580 in Livermore: Exit North Vasco Road, left on Scenic Ave, Left on Arrowhead Avenue PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dear Devotees, Hindu Community and Cultural Center has been playing an important role in fulfilling the religious, cultural, and spiritual needs of Hindu community. The devotee participation has been increasing continuously. To cater to the needs of the devotees we have increased the number of events. Several new events are planned for the rest of the year. Cultural Committee added four new events; Artist Day, Tamil Composers Day, Guru Vandana Day, and Swati Thirunal Day. For the first time, we organized Walk-A-Thon in which the devotees made temple Pradakshinams. This event has received very good response from devotees and sponsoring organizations. Veena concert by internationally renowned artist Smt. Geeta Bennett followed the Walk-A-Thon event. This is a coordinated effort by multiple committees; Fund Raising, Youth & Education, Publicity, IT, Human Services, and Religious Committees. Volunteers are pivotal to the success of the temple events. This year the Volunteer Committee organized a program to recognize the contributions of volunteers and service providers. Human Services committee has conducted a Health Fair on Sep 27. New Durga family idols are arriving shortly for Durga Puja Celebrations, scheduled from Oct 5 to Oct 12. We added Kumari Puja (Puja for little girls) and Shantijal after Vijaya Dashami (Oct 9). A cultural program will also be held on Oct 11. We introduced a program where in devotees invited Balaji Utsava Murti to their homes. It received overwhelming response and we plan to add Ganesha Utsava Murthi into this program This year, the New Year Day Anna Daana Program was a success. We plan to repeat it for 2009 New Year day as well. We request the same support from the devotees. Temple operational committees made great progress in fixing the issues raised by the City, PG&E, and neighbors which helped MPC in their efforts to seek approvals from the city. New priest, Pdt. V.V.S Sharma joined temple recently. Pdt. Rama Sheshu is joining soon. Our priests did a very good job in performing the annual Pavitrotsavam, Ganesha Chaturthi, Sri Krishna Janamashtami, and Kanaka Durga Samprokshana festivals. Devotee attendance during these functions was very impressive. We expect similar participation in the upcoming Vishnu Brahmotsavam function to be held from Oct 3 to Oct 5. Our priests, administration, and temple management are getting ready for the busiest quarter of the year. The key events are Durga Puja, Vishnu Brahmotsavam, Anadal Kalayam, the grand New Year Celebrations (2009), and Bhoomi Puja for Maha Kumbhabishekam Celebrations (2010). Temple Vastra sale will be in October. Please visit temple website for the latest updates. Popular HCCC Calendar for 2009 is under preparation and we expect to get you this in Dec We are constantly exploring ways to serve you well. Om Namah Shivaya and Om Namo Venkatesaya. Prasuna Reddy Dornadula, President, HCCC Livermore, CA. From Editor s Desk Dear Devotees, This edition of Newsletter is the last issue for the year We are introducing two editions of Newsletter from this issue onwards. On-line edition will be a full color edition that you can access from temple s web site Limited copies of print edition will be available in color. Plenty of black and white print copies will continue to be available. For color copies, please contact temple office when you visit temple. Black and white copies will be available in the brochure stands in the temple. If you wish to write articles for publication in the Newsletter on the subjects of interest to devotees of HCCC, please your articles to Publicity Janakiram.kaki@gmail.com. We would like to hear from you on how well this newsletter is serving your information needs. Please your comments, suggestions, and feedback to Janakiram.kaki@gmail.com. Janakiram Kaki, Publicity Chair, EC, HCCC

2 2 PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS DATE/DAY EVENTS TIME ACTIVITIES Sept 29th(Mon) to Oct 8th(Wed) Navarathri Celebrations See Improtant Announcements for details Oct 1st Wednesday Swati 6:30 PM Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Abhisheka Oct 3rd Friday Vishnu Brahmotsavam Day 1 Detailed Program at the End Oct 4th Saturday Vishnu Brahmotsavam Day 2 Detailed Program at the End 11:00 AM Swarna Alamkaram for Lord Shiva Oct 5th Sunday Vishnu Brahmotsavam Day 3 Detailed Program at the End Shasti 5:00 PM Sri Kartikeya Sahasranama Archana Oct 6th Monday Moola Nakshatra 7:00 PM Saraswati Pooja by Childrens on ocassionn of Navaratri Oct 7th Tuesday Durga Ashtami 9:00 AM Durga Pooja in A.Hall and Kanaka Durga Devi Temple Oct 8th Wednesday Maha Navami 6:30 PM Chandi Homam in Main Temple Hall Oct 9th Thursday Vijaya Dashami 6:30 PM Asthana Pooja in the Main Temple Hall Oct 10th Friday Ekadasi 6:30 PM Balaji Bhoga Murthy Abhisheka Oct 11th Saturday 2nd Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Muttangi Alamkaram for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Tomala Seva for Lord Balaji Pradosham 5:00 PM Shiva Abhisheka Oct 13th Monday Poornima 6:30 PM Sri Lalita Sahasranama parayana Oct 17th Friday Sankatahara Chathurthi 6:30 PM Ganesha Abhisheka Krittika 6:30 PM Kartikeya Abhisheka and Archana Rohini 6:30 PM Sri Krishna Pooja Karva Chouth 5:00 PM & 7:00 PM Karva Chouth Pooja by Ladies Oct 18th Saturday 3rd Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Rajatha Alamkara for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Tiruppavadai seva for Lord Balaji Oct 19th Sunday 3rd Sunday of the Month 11:00AM BilwaDala Archana for Lord Shiva Oct 20th Monday Punarvasu 6:30 PM Sri Rama Abhisheka Oct 24th Friday Ekadasi 6:30 PM Balaji Bhoga Murthy Abhisheka Oct 25th Saturday 4th Saturday of the month 12:00 Noon Pushpa seva for Lord Balaji Pradosham 5:00 PM Shiva Abhisheka Oct 26th Sunday Last Sunday of the Month 4:30 PM Kala Bhairava Abhisheka Masa Shivaratri 5:00 PM 108 Kalasha Abhisheka for Lord Shiva Oct 27th Monday Deepavali 10:30 AM Maha Lakshmi Abhisheka 12:00 Noon Theertha Prasadam 7:30PM Sri Lakshmi Kubera Pooja by devotees in Main Temple Hall Kali Pooja in A.Hall 8:00 PM onwards Detailed Program at the End Oct 29th Wednesday Swati 6:30 PM Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Abhisheka SkandaShasti Begins 6:00 PM Detailed Program at the End Gujarati New Year Oct 30th Thursday Skanda Shastii 2nd Day 6:00 PM Detailed Program at the End Oct 31st Friday Skanda Shasti 3rd Day 6:00 PM Detailed Program at the End Nov 1st Saturday 1st Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Swarna Alamkaram for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Vastra Samarpana for Lord Balaji Skanda Shasti 4th day (weekend timing) 5:00 PM Detailed program at the End Nov 2nd Sunday DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS 3am => 2am Nov 2nd Sunday Skanda Shasti 5th day (weekend timing) 5:00 PM Detailed program at the End Nov 3rd Monday Skanda Shasti 10:00 AM onwards Detailed Program at the End Kartika Somavara 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Nov 4th, Tuesday 4:00 PM Temple reopens in the evening at 4 PM Murugan Kalyana Utsavam 4:30 PM Detailed Program at the End Nov 5th Wednesday Sravana 6:30 PM Balaji Sahasranama Archana Nov 8th Saturday 2nd Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Muttangi Alamkaram for Lord Shiva

3 3 PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS DATE/DAY EVENTS TIME ACTIVITIES Vishnu Pushpa Yaaga 11:00 AM onwards Detailed Program at the End Nov 9th Sunday Skanda Shasti (Weekend Function) 10: 00 AM onwards Detailed Program at the End Ekadasi 5:00 PM Balaji Bhoga Murthy Abhisheka Tulasi Vivaham 5:00 PM Nov 10th Monday Pradosham & Kartika Somavara 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Nov 12th Wednesday Shiva Annabhishekam 9:30 AM Poornima 6:30 PM Sri Lalita Sahasranama Parayana Kartika Poornima 6:30 PM Samoohika Satyanarayana Pooja (in main Temple) Nov 13th Thursday Krittika 6:30 PM Murugan Abhisheka & Archana Krittika Deepam Nov 14th Friday Rohini 6:30 PM Sri Krishna Pooja Nov 15th Saturday 3rd Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Rajatha Alamkara for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Tiruppavadai Seva for Lord Balaji Sankatahara Chathurthi 5:00 PM Ganesha Abhisheka Sun Enters Vrischika 5:00 PM Ayyappa Mandala Pooja Begins Nov 16th Sunday 3rd Sunday of the month 11:00 AM Bilva Dala Archana for Lord Shiva Shiva Annabhishekam 11:00 AM Weekend function Nov 17th Monday Kartika Somavara 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Punarvasu 6:30 PM Sri Rama Abhisheka Nov 19th Wednesday Kala Bhairava Jayanthi 6:30 PM Kala Bhairava Abhisheka Nov 22nd Saturday 4th Saturday of the month 12:00 Noon Pushpa Seva for Lord Balaji Ekadasi 5:00 PM Balaji Bhoga Murthy Abhisheka Nov 24th Monday Kartika Somavara &Pradosham 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Nov 25th Tuesday Masa Shivarathri 6:30 PM 108 Kalasha Abhisheka for Lord Shiva Swathi 6:30 PM Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Abhisheka Nov 27th Thursday Thanksgiving Day Holiday Schedule Temple operates on weekend schedule: 9 AM to 8 PM Nov 28th Friday Day After Thanksgiving Day Holiday Schedule Temple operates on weekend schedule: 9 AM to 8 PM Nov 29th Saturday 5th Saturday of the Month 10:30 AM Sahasra Kalasha Abhisheka for Lord Balaji Nov 30th Sunday Last Sunday of the Month 4:30 PM Kala Bhairava Abhisheka Dec 3rd Wednesday Shasti 6:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Sravana 6:30 PM Balaji Sahasranama Archna Dec 6th Saturday 1st Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Swarna Alamkaram for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Vastra Samarpana for Lord Balaji Dec 8th Monday Moksha Ekadasi (Gita Jayanti) 6:30 PM Balaji Bhoga Murthy Abhisheka Dec 10th Wednesday Kritika Masa - Kritika Star Sudarshana Homam 6:00 PM Detailed Program at the end Kritika 6:30 PM Murugan Abhisheka Pradosham 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Annamalai Deepam 6:30 PM Dec 11th Thursday Poornima 6:30 PM Sri Lalita Sahasranama Parayanam Rohini 6:30 PM Sri Krishna Pooja Sarvalaya Deepam 6:30 PM Dec13th Saturday Gita Jayanthi weekend Function Detailed Program at the end 2nd Saturday of the month 11:00 AM Mutangi Alamkaram for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Tomala Seva for Lord Balaji Dec 14th Sunday Punarvasu 5:00 PM Sri Rama Abhisheka Dec 15th Monday Dhanurmasa Puja Begins 10:00 AM Andal Abhisheka every day by 10:00 AM Sankatahara Chathurthi 6:30 PM Ganesha Abhisheka Dec 20th Saturday 3rd Saturday of the month 11:00 AM Rajatha Alamkara for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Tiruppavadai Seva for Lord Balaji Dec 21st Sunday 3rd Sunday of the Month 11:00 AM Bilva dala Archana for Lord Shiva

4 4 PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS DATE/DAY EVENTS TIME ACTIVITIES Swathi 6:30 PM Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Abhisheka Dec 24th Wednesday Pradosham 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Ayyappa Mandala Puja Ends Dec 25th Thursday Christmas Day Holiday Schedule Temple operates in weekend schedule of 9 AM to 8 PM Masa Shivaratri 6:30 PM 108 Kalasha Abhisheka for Lord Shiva Dec 26th Friday Hanuman Jayanthi 10:00 AM Sundara Kanda Homam 6:30 PM Hanuman Abhisheka 7:30 PM Sahasra Nagavallidala and Sahasra kadali phala Archana 8:30 PM Ekanta Seva Dec 27th Saturday 4th Saturday of the Month 12:00 Noon Pushpa Seva for Lord Balaji Dec 28th Sunday Last Sunday of the Month 4:30 PM Kala Bhairava Abhisheka Dec 30th Tuesday Sravana 6:30 PM Balaji Sahasranama Archna Dec 31st, Wednesday Weekend Schedule 4 PM - 7 PM No Archana (Alankaram in Progress) 8:00 PM Ekanta Seva Jan 1st Thursday New Year's Day 2009 Special Schedule Temple Opens 7 AM; Single Line Darshan starts 8:30 AM 7:00 AM Shiva & Vishnu Suprabatham 7:30 AM Shiva Abhisheka / Andal Abhishekam 7:30 AM Maha Ganapathi Homam 8:00 AM Nitya Pooja, Arathi to all Deities 8:30 AM Single Line Darshan Starts 8:00 PM Ekanta Seva Jan 2nd Friday Shasti 6:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Jan 3rd Saturday 1st Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Swarna Alamkara for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Vastra Samarpana for Lord Balaji Jan 6th Tuesday Krittika 6:30 PM Murugan Abhisheka Jan 7th Wednesday Vaikunta Ekadasi Detailed Program at the End Jan 8th Thursday Pradosham 6:30 PM Shiva Abhisheka Rohini 6:30 PM Sri Krishna Puja Jan 10th Saturday 2nd Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Muttangi Alamkaram for Lord Shiva 12:00 Noon Tomala seva for Lord Balaji Poornima 5:00 PM Sri Lalita Sahasranama Parayana Arudra Darshana 9:30 AM Shiva Abhisheka Jan 12th, Monday Jan 13th Tuesday Dhanur Masa Puja Ends Makara Sankranthi, Thai Pongal Uttarayan Punya kala Ayyappa makara deepa pooja 6:30 PM Ayyappa Pooja Sankatahara Chathurthi 6:30 PM Ganesha Abisheka Jan 17th Saturday 3rd Saturday of the Month 11:00 AM Rajatha Alamkaram for Lord Shiva 12;00 Noon Tiruppavadai seva for Lord Balaji Andal Kalyanam 3:00PM Detailed Program at the End Jan 18th Sunday 3rd Sunday of the Month 11;00 AM Bilwa Dala archana for Lord Shiva Swati 5;00PM Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Abhisheka Jan 21st Wednesday Ekadasi 6:30 PM Balaji Bhoga Murthy Abhisheka Jan 23rd Friday Pradosham& Masa Shivaratri 6:30 PM 108 Kalasha Abhisheka for Shiva Jan 24th Saturday 4th Saturday of the month 12:00 Noon Pushpa Seva for Lord Balaji Jan 25th Sunday Last Sunday of the Month 4:30 PM Kala Bhairava Abhisheka Jan 26th Monday MLK Day Temple Opens from 9:00AM to 8:00PM Sravana 5:00 PM Balaji Sahasranama Archana Jan 30th Friday Vasantha Panchami 6:30 PM Lalita Sahasranama Archana Saraswati Puja 10:30 AM Detailed Program at the End Jan 31st Saturday 5th Saturday of the Month 10:30 AM Sahasra Kalasha Abhisheka for Lord Balaji

5 5 SRI VISHNU BRAHMOTSAVAM Skanda Shasti Celebrations Continued DATE/DAY TIME EVENTS DATE/DAY TIME EVENTS Oct 3rd Fri 6:30 PM Sankalpam, Deeksha and Ankurarpanam 9:00 PM Dhwaja Pata Prathishta and Dwaja Aarohanam 9:30 PM Ekanta Seva Oct 4th Sat 8:00 AM Shiva and Vishnu Suprabatham 8:30 AM Agni Prathishta 9:00 AM Nava Kumbha Sthapana 9:30 AM Nitya Homa, Bali and Satumurai 10:00 AM Lord Balaji Abhisheka 11:00 AM Sesha Vahana Seva for Lord Balaji 12:00 Noon Tomala Seva 12:30 PM Satumurai, Theertha Prasadam 1:00 PM Dwiguna Aradhana and Alaya Bali 5:00 PM Garuda Vahana Seva 6:00 PM Sayamkala Archana, Bali and Satumurai 7:00 PM Nithya Homam 8:00 PM Ekanta Seva Oct 5th Sun 8:00 AM Shiva and Vishnu Suprabatham 8:30 AM Shiva, Ganesha, Karthikeya, Hanuman Abhishekha 9:00 AM Nitya Homa, Bali and Satumurai 10:00 AM Hanumanta Vahana Seva 11:00 AM Choorna Abhisheka 12:00 Noon Avabrida Snanam 1:00 PM Poornahuti 5:00 PM Pallaki Utsavam with Sri Sridevi and Sri Bhoo Devi 7:00 PM Mouna Bali 7:30 PM Rashtra Asheervachanam 8:30 PM Ekanta Seva Kali Puja in Assembly Hall Oct 27th Mon 8:00 PM Deepa Danam 9:00 PM Sankalpam 9:30 PM Sri Kali Pooja 11:30 PM Arathi, Puhpanjali 12:00 AM Bhog Prasad 12;30 AM Kali Homam 1:30 AM Shanti Jal & Asheervadam Above is Evening thru Late Night Schedule Nov 9th Sun 10:00 AM Kavadi Pooja and Tiru Veedhi Utsavam 11:30 AM Murugan Abhisheka 1:30 PM Pushpa Alamkaram, Archana, Arathi, Theerta and Prasadam 4:30 PM Subramanya Homa 6:00 PM MayuraVahana Seva for Lord Murugan (Peacock Vahanam ) Sri Vishnu Pushpa Yagam Nov 8th Sat 8:00 AM Suprabatham 9:00 AM Lord Balaji Abhisheka 10:00 AM Tomala Seva for Lord Balaji 11:00 AM Pushpa Yaga Starts 12:00 Noon Pushpa Yaga Homa 1:00 PM Poornahuti 1:30 PM Theertha Prasada Viniyogam Kritika Masa Kritika Star Sudarshana Homam Dec 10th Wed 6:00 PM Sankalpam 6:30 PM Sudarshana Abhisheka 7:00 PM Chakrabja Mandala Puja 8:30 PM Ekanta Seva Gita Jayanthi In Assembly Hall (Weekend function) Dec 13th Sat 9:30 AM Gita Parayan 10:30 AM Children's Performances on Bhagwad Gita 2:00 PM Bhajans 3:00 PM Meditation 4:00 PM Bhajans 5:00 PM Sri Krishna Pooja, Aarthi and Theertha Prasada Vaikunta Ekadasi Jan 7th :00 AM Suprabhatham Wednesday 6:30 AM Balaji Moola Murthy Abhisheka 6:30 AM Andal Abhisheka 8:00 AM Dwara Pooja 8:30 AM Dwara Pravesham for Devotees 6:00 PM Lord Venkatesha SatyaNarayana Home & Poornahuti 8:00 PM Ekanta Seva Sri Andal Kalyanam Jan 17th :00 PM Edukola Utsavam Saturday 4:00 PM Kalyana Utsavam 5:30 PM TiruVeedhi Utsavam 6:30 PM TiruKalyana Bhajonam for all Devotees Saraswati Puja Celebration Jan 30th :30 AM Saraswati Puja Friday 11:30 AM Pushpanjali 12:00 Noon Bhoj Prasad 12:15 PM Aarti 12:30 PM Hatekahari (Aksharabhyasam 7:00 PM Sandha (Sandhya) Aarti 7:30 PM Aksharabhyasam 8:00 PM Shanti Jal and Prasad Skanda Shasti Celebrations Oct 29th Wed 6:00 PM Murugan Abhisheka 7:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Oct 30th Thu 6:00 PM Murugan Abhisheka 7:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Oct 31st Fri 6:00 PM Murugan Abhisheka 7:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Nov 1st Sat 5:00 PM Murugan Abhisheka (weekend schedule) 6:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Nov 2nd Sun 5:00 PM Murugan Abhisheka (weekend schedule) 6:30 PM Murugan Sahasranama Archana Nov 3rd Mon SKANDA SHASTI 10:00 AM Kavadi Pooja and Procession 11:30 AM Abhisheka 1:30 PM Archana, Theertham andprasadam 7:30 PM Sahasranama Archana Nov 4th Tue 4:00 PM Murugan Kalyana Utsavam (Temple reopens in the evening at 4 PM ) Cont. on next column...

6 6 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS Hundi Donations Delivery of Newsletter When you visit the temple, please offer your donations only in Hundi. To ensure delivery of temple Newsletter to your inbox (not your spam Please do not throw or place cash (bills/coins) on or near idols. or bulk folders), please add to your addressbook. Need Volunteers Dravya Usage The HCCC is a non-profit organization and is run by many dedicated volunteers. Many new volunteers have joined the crew and have supported temple events. We need many more volunteers to help with the activities of temple in the areas of publicity, cultural, religious, maintenance, administration, fund raising, youth & education, and many more areas. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact volunteer coordinator Manashi Bagchi at manashibagchi@yahoo.com or temple office. In the last edition of Newsletter we appealed to all devotees to bring limited quantities of the Dravyas (milk, yogurt, honey, and fruit juices) for Abhishekam. Many devotees responded to our appeal and HCCC would like to thank devotees for their co-operation and understanding. However, the problem of excessive Dravyas clogging drainage is not completely eliminated. Please continue to bring in the Dravyas in limited quantities. Abhishekas During Navaratri Celebrations You can sponsor Abhishkas and Archanas to goddesses Parvati, Lakshmi, and Andal during Navaratri celebrations and seek their blessings. The times and dates of Abhishekas and Archanas are as follows: At Parvati Shrine Oct 1 from 10:30 a.m At Lakshmi shrine Oct 2 to Oct 4 from 10:30 a.m At Andal Shrine Oct 5 to Oct 7 from 10:30 a.m Navaratri Celebrations Sri Kanaka Durga Shrine September 29 (Monday) October 8 (Wednesday), 2008 Please take this opportunity to visit the shrine and enjoy the beautiful Alankara (decoration) for the Deity Alankara For Sri Kanaka Durga Devi September 29 September 30 October 1 October 2 October 3 October 4 October 5 October 6 October 7 October 8 Haridra (in Turmeric) Vibhooti (in Holy Ash) Indrani (as Goddess sitting on an elephant) Rajatha (in Silver color) Pushpa (in Flowers) Shakambari (in Vegetables) Mahishasura Mardhini (as Slayer of demon Mahishasura) Saraswathi (as Goddess of learning) Annapoorna (as Goddess providing food) Kamakshi (as Goddess with beautiful eyes) Sri Kanaka Durga Devi Sep 29, Mon to Oct 3, Fri 11:00 am 6:30 pm Lalita Sahasranama Archana Abhisheka, Alankara, and Archana Oct 6, Mon Sapthami Day 11:00 am 6:30 pm Lalita Sahasranama Archana Abhisheka, Alankara, and Archana Oct 4, Sat 11:00 am 4:30 pm Lalita Sahasranama Archana Abhisheka, Alankara, and Archana Oct 7, Tue Ashtami Day 11:00 am 4:30 pm Lalita Sahasranama Archana Abhisheka, Alankara, and Archana Oct 5, Sun 11:00 am 4:30 pm Lalita Sahasranama Archana Abhisheka, Alankara, and Archana Oct 8, Wed Navami Day 11:00 am 4:30 pm Lalita Sahasranama Archana Abhisheka, Alankara, and Archana Continued on page 12...

7 7 KEY EVENTS CELEBRATED Saxophone Concert HCCC hosted a Carnatic Saxophone concert by Shyam Murali from Plano, Texas. He was accompanied on violin by Ms. Rangashree Varadarajan and Murali Bala on the Thavil. This event was during the Kanaka Durga Prathistapana celebrations. The artist Shyam Murali is a 12th grade student. He has learnt under Padmashree Dr. Kadri Gopalnath and Prasant Radhakrishnan. Rangashree Varadarajan, the bay area artist is a seasoned violinist and has had extensive training under Smt. Anuradha Sridhar. Murali Bala, a disciple of Srimushnam Raja Rao, is a trained Mridangist who accompanies Shyam on the Thavil. The program started with a brisk Navaragamalika Varnam. The Violin and Thavil added a lot of pleasure to the ears. Many popular songs were sung; Ramanee Samanamevaru(Kharaharapriya Raagam, Rupaka Talam), Vinayaka Ninnuvina (Hamsadhwani Raagam), Swaminatha Paripalaya (Nattai Shyam Murali, Rangashree Varadarajan, and Murali Bala Raagam), Manavyalakim (Nalinakanti Raagam), Sarasa Sama (Kapi Narayani Raagam), Adamodi Gala (Charukesi Raagam), and Bhuvaneswariya (Mohana Kalyani Raagam). The concert concluded with a short Mangalam. The program was very well attended and the young artist got an excellent support from the audience. Walk-A-Thon 2008 HCCC has organized Walk-A-Thon on Sep 20, 2008 for the first time inside the temple compound. About 140 people registered in the Walk-A-Thon jointly organized by Fundraising, Youth & Education, and Human Services committees. Mr.Srinivas, Mrs.Raghavamma, Ms.Sumitra Lavu, and Mrs.Lakshmi have walked 25 miles each by completing 108 laps (Pradakshinams). They were presented Vastras for this feat. Many of the participants have completed 25 (5.9 miles) to 50 (11.8 miles) laps (Pradakshinams). Three youngsters have completed 108 Pradakshinams inside the temple. It was a feast to watch the participation from members of all age groups. People have reported for registration by 8.00 AM. Walk-A-Thon was started by a Puja performed by Pdt. Subrahmanya Sharma. Dr. Kamala Shankar flagged off the march. Every one was inspired by the presence and volunteering of an elderly woman Mrs.Parvathi Amma. HCCC would like to express thanks to Raghunath Dendukuri (a first time volunteer and a core committee member for the event) for his contribution, untiring effort, and the Upma breakfast he and his wife Mr. Srinivas receiving Vastras for completing 108 laps first Uma brought for the volunteers before 8.00 AM. The registration desk was managed by Archana Ranganathan so efficiently that there was hardly any waiting time for the registrants. Her contribution in the design of the flyer and ordering of caps is outstanding. Many volunteers extended help at the registration desk, taking pictures of the event, and distribution of water bottles. Walk-A-Thon event execution is an excellent example of dedication and collaborative effort of the HCCC management (particularly Fundraising Chair, Human Services Chair, Youth & Education Chair, and Board Liaison for Y & E and HS), temple staff, and a number of volunteers. Participants making Pradaksinams (laps) "Dosa Place Restaurant has donated food for this event. The grand finale of the event was a world class Veena Concert by Geeta Bennett. Very rare compositions and rare Raagas were sung. The energy in the song written by Subramania Bharathi on Sri Durga, the deep devotion of Saint Thyagaraja, the purity of Muthu Swami Dikshit, sublime notes from the Dasas, the high notes from Swathi Thirunal and grand Mangalam mesmerized the audience. Indeed it was a rare treat at HCCC. Sanskrit Summer Camp Youth & Education committee organized Sanskrit summer camp on August 9 and September 13 at the Shiva-Vishnu temple premises. The focus of the camp was to train people to speak Sanskrit. Over 40 children and their parents attended the camp. The camp was conducted by Srikali Varanasi and Goutam Vedanthi. One of the participants of the camp summarized his experiences in the camp The Sanskrit Camp of 2008 was a very successful experience. The students learned by interacting and participating in class. First of all, the teacher this year was extremely clear while teaching and he covered all the vital topics in this process. Without straying from the topic of Sanskrit he managed to interest all the students. Thanks to the teacher s teaching ability, even students who despised the idea of attending the class ended up having fun and learning the language.

8 8 Ganesha Chaturthi Celebration Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated at the temple from August 13 to September 7. The celebration started with Ganapathi Atharva Sheersha Abhishekam on August 13. The lead priests for this year s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations were Pdt. Nageshwara Sastry and Pdt. Chintapalli Venkateshwara Sharma. Mrs. Lakshmi Narayana Murthi and Mrs. Meena Kapadia made the 28 inches tall Ganesha clay idol. The Ganesha idol was beautifully decorated. On the day of Ganesha Chaturthi (Sep 3), the temple opened at 8.00 AM. Even though it was a working day, about 1500 devotees visited the temple to receive the blessings of Lord Ganesha. Volunteers, temple staff, and management have coordinated parking and food supply very well. In the afternoon, the popular Ganesh procession on Mooshika Vahanam was very well received. Following Ganesh Chaturthi day, the three day special Alankaram rituals were held from Sep 4 through Sept 6. On Sep 7, the Lord Ganesha Nimajjana ritual began. The Ganesha idol was taken in a van to Pier 39, San Francisco. Ninety one devotees traveled by a bus organized by the temple to witness and participate in Nimajjana event. At Pier 39, the devotees took the idol in a boat near the Golden Gate Bridge to immerse the idol in the San Francisco bay with full religious rituals. Theertha Prasadam was then served on the boat to the devotees. HCCC would like to thank Mrs. Lakshmi Narayana Murthi, the grand sponsors, other sponsors, devotees, all the volunteers, and the event coordinator for the meticulous planning of the event. HCCC would like to congratulate the volunteers and the event coordinator for the meticulous planning and organizing the entire 26 day celebrations. On Aug 30, over 120 children along with their family performed Ganesha Puja lead by Pdt. Nageshwara Sastry. The children were pleasantly surprised by a visit of Ganesha Claus enacted by Dr. Kamala Shankar. They Lord Ganesha Idol at temple with priests and devotees Children with Ganesha Claus were happy to receive the blessings from Ganesha Claus. Temple priests performing Homa Devotees Transporting Ganesha idol to the boat Devotees lowering Lord Ganesha s Idol in to bay waters

9 9 Kanaka Durga Samprokshanam The Kanakadurga Utsava Murti Samprokshana program took place from August 14 to August 17. The program was sponsored by 193 devotees and well attended by several hundreds of devotees. About 60 devotees took Deeksha and participated closely in the function. The priests of Livermore temple have excelled one more time with their chanting of mantras while performing various rituals and homas for the four days and created a resounding effect and giving serene feeling to everyone. The sanctification of Utsava Murti occurred on Sunday, Goddess Kanaka Durga Procession in traditional style August 17 at 12:07 PM with the goddess viewing the holy cow and children. The program ended with Veda Parayana and procession of the Goddess on the peacock. The 41 days of Mandala Puja and Archana was concluded on Sep 27 with Durga Abhishekam, Mula Mantra Homa, and Purnahuti. A rare opportunity to worship sacred Gomaata (cow) Volunteers Appreciation Day Volunteer Appreciation Day is an annual event organized at the temple by the volunteer chair, Dr. Manashi Bagchi and several volunteers. Temple takes this opportunity to thank and appreciate all the volunteers for their hard work, devotion, and valuable time spent by them for the temple work in conducting religious events, human services, cultural events, and many other events. It was very well attended by volunteers, their family, and members of Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Steering Committee members. HCCC volunteers are one of the key resources to make all events run smooth and make the HCCC devotees happy and enable them enjoy their time at the temple. HCCC temple served dinner and treated to a nice cultural program by Surpal. All the participating volunteers, EC, and BOD members were presented with a beautiful idol of lord Ganesha as souvenir to mark this event. Chairman, Sri Srinivasa Malladi, presented vote of thanks to all the volunteers for all their hard work. Srinivasa Malladi and Kamala Shankar chatting with some of the guests Manashi Bagchi with volunteers and temple management Volunteers treating themselves for a nice dinner Three devotees who undertook the pilgrimage walk Pilgrimage Walk from San Ramon to Livermore Temple On Sep 6, 2008, a pilgrimage walk was undertaken by three devotees (Shantharam Gummaraju, Kalyan Chakravarthi Adavi, and Uday Dhanikonda) carrying Lord Ganesha from San Ramon to Livermore temple beating all odds and challenges such as security restrictions and closed roads on their way. Mr. Anand Gundu met these three devotees in the temple. They compared feelings from their walk with those of people who walk through Sapta Giri to Tirumala. In fact one of the devotees did this walk as an alternative to his Tirumala walk.

10 10 Donation to Veteran Hospital of Livermore Anand Kumar Gundu with VA hospital staff Human Services wing of HCCC has been facilitating donation to the Veterans Hospital in Livermore for the last few years. Keeping the tradition, this year too, HCCC donated items from the wish list that included CD boom boxes, personal hygiene items, and fleece blankets. The staff and recipients of the donations expressed their gratitude for the items. Some of them were so thrilled about their new fleece blanket and wished it was cooler to use it right away. HCCC continues to serve the humanity guided by their motto "Service to mankind is service to god ". Human Services appreciates all the devotees for their contributions to such causes and wish to thank them. The HCCC team was represented by Dr Kamala Shankar (BOD), Dr Suma Kote, and Mr TK Subramanian and Mr. Anand Gundu, Chairman of Human Services. Seniors Debate Program A debate program for seniors was conducted in July 2008 at the temple by Human Services committee. The topic for the debate was It is better to live with children in the US vs. living alone in India. Several seniors attended and participated in the debate sharing their views and experiences with fellow seniors. Some excerpts from the speeches are:.in the year 2001, the wheel of my life took a sharp turn and I was faced with a circumstance of coming to America to live with my son. The mind refused to accept the change. Everything seemed to be the opposite from what it was in India, the language, the culture, the food habits, the attire and the lifestyle as a whole. I started to turn all the oppositeness to my convenience. There was a mutual joy in living with the son and daughter-in-law. I started enjoying taking care of my grand-children, raising them, feeding them, playing with them, taking them back and forth to school and so on. This freed my son and daughter-in-law from the worries of home while they were at work. By the Grace of God, I live close to the Shiva Vishnu temple in Livermore. I started coming regularly to the temple, every Saturday, to take part in various activities including special pujas, talks by renowned saints, festivals and volunteering in the library. This gave me a lot of contentment. At this point I feel that it is a win-win situation for me to live here. Why not spend the rest of my life with children and grandchildren, turning everything available into a convenience? Tamil Composers Day Tamil composer s day event was conducted on Aug 31, 2008 at the temple assembly hall. Many musicians participated in this event. Noted musician Sri Brahmanadam spoke very eloquently and shared information about several Tamil composers. He sang with great Vidhwath, only musicians of such caliber can do. Many artists including child and young artists participated in the program. Facilitation of Smt. & Sri. Brahmanandam Young musicians performing

11 11 PICTURE GALLERY Temple priests performing Puja before Nimajjanam Devotee decorating place with beautiful Rangoli during Kanakadurga Samprokshanam Seniors debating Volunteers distributing water bottles for the participants Artists participated in the Tamil Composers Day event Surprise visit by Ganesha Claus

12 12 Continued from page 6... Sri Durga Puja Sunday October 5, 2008 thru Sunday October 12, 2008 Sun, October 5, :00 pm Ma Durga Adhibas 6:30 pm Chandipath 8:00 pm Pushpanjali 8:30 pm Arati Mon, October 6, 2008, Saptami Day 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga and Kanaka Durga (in shrines) 10:30 am Maha Saptami Puja 11:45 am Pushpanjali 12:30 pm Bhog Prasad 1:00 pm Arati 6:30 pm Chandipath 8:00 pm Pushpanjali & Arati Tue, October 7, 2008, Ashtami Day 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga and Kanaka Durga (in shrines) 10:30 am Maha Ashtami Puja 11:35 am Durga Sandhi Puja 12:23 pm Sandhi Puja Samarpan 12:30 pm Pushpanjali (with 108 lamps & flowers) 1:00 pm Bhog Prasad & Arati 6:30 pm Chandipath 8:00 pm Pushpanjali & Sandhya Arati Wed, October 8, 2008, Navami Day 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga and Kanaka Durga (in Shrines) 10:30 am Maha Navami Puja 11:45 am Pushpanjali 12:30 pm Bhog Prasad & Arati 1:00 pm KUMARI PUJA 3:00 pm Maha Navami Homa (Havan) 4:00 pm Shanti Path & Tilakdan 7:00 pm Pushpanjali & Arati 8:00 pm Dhunuchi Nritya Thur, October 9, 2008, Navami Day 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga and Kanaka Durga (in Shrines) 10:30 am Maha Dashami Puja 11:30 am Pushpanjali 12:00 pm Bhog Prasad & Arati 12:30 pm Darpan Bisarjan & Aparajita Puja 6:30 pm Sindhur Daan 7:00 pm Shanti Path & Tilakdan and Asheervad & Maha Prasad 8:00 pm Shanthijal Fri, October 10, 2008, Weekend Function 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga & Kanaka Durga (in Shrines) 12:00 pm Bhog Prasad & Arati 5:30 pm Cultural Program 7:00 pm Adhik Puja 7:30 pm Pushpanjali and Arati 8:00 pm Mata (Devi) Jagaran Sat, October 11, 2008, Weekend Function 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga & Kanaka Durga (in Shrines) 10:30 am Durga Puja 12:00 pm Pushpanjali, Bhog Prasad & Arati 1:00 pm KUMARI PUJA 4:00 PM Cultural Program 7:00 pm Pushpanjali, Bhog Prasad & Arati & Shanti Path & Tilakdan 8:00 pm Dhunuchi Nritya Sun, October 12, 2008, Weekend Function 9:00 am Nitya Puja, Dasha Bhuja Durga & Kanaka Durga (in Shrines) 10:30 am Durga Puja 12:00 pm Pushpanjali, Bhog Prasad & Arati 1:00 pm Shantijal and Ashirvad 2:00 pm Children s Program SHIVA-VISHNU TEMPLE HINDU COMMUNITY & CULTURAL CENTER 1232 Arrowhead Avenue Livermore, CA Phone: Fax: NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LIVERMORE, CA PERMIT 158 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER-2008 NEWSLETTER DESIGNED BY: Kulvinder Kaur PRINTED BY: Capitol Printing